Starlight/Chapter 1
Chapter description Brambleclaw's PoV :Brambleclaw is standing at the top of a slope, looking down at the lake during a sunset, and he is happy that the Clans had found their new home, just as the badger Midnight had promised. All around him, warriors from all Clans are murmuring to each other, all eyes fixed on the unfamiliar landscape just below the hill. Brightheart mews that they can barely see anything in this light, and Cloudtail comforts his mate. Russetfur, ShadowClan's deputy, demands about Twolegs. Blackclaw points out that everyone is tired and weak, and that foxes or badgers could easily track them down in this state. :For a moment, Brambleclaw is a tad scared, but then realizes that StarClan wouldn't have brought them here to perish on their first night. Squirrelpaw then asks if they are going to stand there all night. When Brambleclaw turns around, she is clawing the grass excitedly and exclaims that they did it and they found their new home. The antsy apprentice tries to run down the hill, but her father, Firestar, stops her. Firestar points out that the place is new and they need to keep a sharp eye out for trouble and adds that StarClan also didn't expect them to leave their wits in the forest. :Squirrelpaw looks over at Brambleclaw, and still looks excited. Firestar suggests to Blackstar and Leopardstar that they send out a small patrol of cats to check out the land. Leopardstar and Blackstar agree but also say that they are too exposed. Mudclaw, whom is filling in for Tallstar (who is in a very ill state) meows that Tallstar needs rest. Firestar decides to send the patrol out, but the remaining cats follow slowly and try to find a more sheltered place. Leopardstar orders Russetfur and Mistyfoot to go to the lake and back. The two deputies slink close to the ground, and soon disappear from sight. :Squirrelpaw demands why Brambleclaw isn't moving. Brambleclaw mews slowly that he wants the four remaining cats that went on the Journey to Midnight with him come too. Brambleclaw wants very strongly to go with his friends one more time before they are forced to part. Tawnypelt purrs to agree, and asks where Crowfeather is. Brambleclaw then spots him with the crowd of cats gathered around Tallstar, who looks like he can barely put one paw in front of the other. :Squirrelpaw calls over the gray-black tom, whose tone isn't friendly. Brambleclaw urges him to come with them to end the journey they started. Crowfeather refuses, because Feathertail is dead and Stormfur is in the mountains. Brambleclaw is struck by grief; he had respected Feathertail as a friend and was shocked at her death caused by Sharptooth, and he also missed Stormfur bitterly, but he knows that Crowfeather's agony over Feathertail is more extreme. Squirrelpaw attempts to comfort Crowfeather, and he grudgingly agrees to come to explore. They are noted to walk past Mothwing, Tallpoppy and her kits, Cloudtail, Brightheart, and Cedarheart. :Brambleclaw thinks of how that they are actually all from different Clans, and how painful the good-byes will be. Squirrelpaw then impatiently tells Brambleclaw to walk faster. As Brambleclaw thinks of how good a piece of prey would be, Tawnypelt starts to hiss and beckons towards a Twoleg fence. The scent of Twolegs is stale, though Crowfeather and Brambleclaw detect horse scent. Whitepaw then asks what horses are, and Tornear comforts her by mewing that they are nothing to worry about. :Brambleclaw and the other continue walking. Soon they stop, spotting Cinderpelt and Leafpaw, and Cinderpelt explains that the patrol the leaders sent had come back. Mistyfoot is speaking: she says that the ground is boggy around the lake. Firestar comes to the consensus that they are staying for the night, as the land around the lake sounds uncomfortable, and for other reasons. Suddenly, Tallstar falls to the ground, and Mudclaw bounds over. Brambleclaw asks Crowfeather about his fragile leader, and he finds out that Tallstar is on his last life. :Blackstar then announces that they will make camp there, and Squirrelpaw is annoyed that he is speaking for all of the leaders, but no other cat seems to mind. Firestar then orders the deputies to each find a few warriors to take watch while the others sleep. When Barkface and Mudclaw try to find Tallstar a sleeping place, Crowfeather bids them a hasty good-bye and rushes towards his weak dying leader. Tawnypelt also takes her leave moments later. Brambleclaw debates whether he should volunteer to stay awake on watch. He sees Firestar giving orders to Sorreltail and her mate, Brackenfur, and he assumes he isn't needed in that sense, and searches for another something helpful to do. :Brambleclaw sees Dustpelt, Ferncloud, and their only surviving kit, Birchkit with Longtail. Goldenflower, the second ThunderClan elder, is with them. Squirrelpaw, Dustpelt, and Brambleclaw lead Ferncloud, Birchkit, and the elders to a sheltered place where they can sleep. Brambleclaw hopes, seeing Leafpaw pass by, that StarClan had followed them here and this was the place that they were destined to find. Dustpelt tells Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw to rest after they ask to hunt for them. :Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw end up sleeping in a gorse bush. Brambleclaw thinks about how they haven't established a proper camp yet before drifting off to sleep. Brambleclaw's dreams are strange and ominous; he is looking for something in a forest but didn't remember what he was looking for, and each path he takes ends quickly in something unassailable. Then he is woken up by Squirrelpaw, who calls him a hedgehog and prods him in the side. :Squirrelpaw tells Brambleclaw that they were going hunting. Brambleclaw is astounded by all of the land and is satisfied that there are few Twoleg nests. He describes in detail the land around him, and his heart is lifted when he realizes that he will be under trees again at long last. The leaders (Mudclaw stepping in for Tallstar) then come out from a gorse thicket, probably at the end of a meeting. They come to the conclusion that Tallstar is not dead, but close to it. The four cats leap onto the tree stump, but because of the lack of space Leopardstar willingly stands on a root. :Squirrelpaw remarks that they need a new place for Gatherings; this would not do. Every cat emerges from their sleeping places to the stump. Tallstar is noted to be not well enough to attend the gathering. Firestar starts talking about the duties to be done and decisions made, but Mudclaw interrupts him, ordering hunting patrols to hunt in their respective territories, rather rudely. Onewhisker stands up for Tallstar, but Mudclaw coldly replies. Mudclaw foolishly meows that the other three Clans can't take all of the territory for themselves and leave out WindClan in their ignorance. :Onewhisker and Squirrelpaw are notably angry, Squirrelpaw yowling as if the Clans would leave out WindClan. Firestar calmly breaks up the growing dispute, and sides with Mudclaw, instead of his old friend. Onewhisker quietly growls something defensive, but sits. Firestar does meow that Onewhisker has a point, and continues on how it is difficult for a deputy to step in as leader. Mudclaw looks angry, and as he parts his jaws, Blackstar cuts in before he can make a sound. :Mudclaw still wears a furious expression. Firestar continues, and meows that he wants to start ThunderClan's new life by making Squirrelpaw a warrior. Squirrelpaw squeals ecstatically and bounds over to her father. Firestar meows that because she made the journey to the sun-drown-place, and leading the Clans to this new hone, ThunderClan thinks that she deserves to become a warrior. As Squirrelpaw makes her way up to the leaders, Sandstorm and Leafpaw look at her proudly and lick her a few times. Dustpelt also comes over to accompany her. : Characters Major * Squirrelpaw }} Minor * Cloudtail * Russetfur * Blackclaw * Firestar * Blackstar * Leopardstar * Mudclaw * Tallstar * Barkface * Mistyfoot * Tawnypelt * Crowfeather * Onewhisker * Mothwing * Tallpoppy * Tallpoppy's kits * Cedarheart * Whitepaw * Tornear * Cinderpelt * Leafpaw * Unnamed Clan cat * Sorreltail * Brackenfur * Dustpelt * Ferncloud * Birchkit * Longtail * Goldenflower * Sandstorm }} Mentioned * Stormfur * Feathertail * Graystripe }} Important events Ceremonies Notes and references nl:Sterrenlicht/Hoofdstuk 1 Category:The New Prophecy arc Category:Chapter subpages Category:Starlight